j.k. simmons

'The Closer' (Mon., 9PM ET on TNT) isn't really up in the air these days. We now know that the show will come to a definitive end at the conclusion of next season's run. Still, on the latest episode, Brenda Johnson (Kyra Sedgwick) finds herself up in the air -- in a very literal sense.

The episode is titled "High Crimes" -- and the LAPD must investigate a series of robberies which then lead to murder. The robberies in question take place at a bunch of medical marijuana shops. (So ... high crimes. ... Get it?)

But while trying to apprehend a suspect, Deputy Chief Johnson gets stuck in an attic -- and then the criminal smashes the ladder that she used to get up there. "Oh, for heaven's sakes!" Brenda says in her inimitable Southern accent, as both the ladder and the suspect crash to the floor.

Before you can start to recover, you'll have to survive your darkest hour. This is the first lesson of recovery, and this is the lesson on 'The Closer' (Mon., 9PM ET on TNT). As the series resumes its sixth season, a random and terrifying attack takes place. At the beginning of the show, a middle-aged man attends an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, where he studies the twelve-step method of surviving addiction. The man has been sober for over a decade -- now, he only sips on cranberry juice and soda.

While he's at the meeting, a younger man approaches him -- the boy is troubled, suffering from addiction, in search of help. The two men talk, then they part, and the older man walks back to his car. Which is when ...

... Which is when he is attacked by a stranger with a knife. It all happens so fast.

In baseball, a seasoned, veteran ball player is considered a valuable member of the team. It's not that different in television, and during the summer -- when baseball is thriving -- a lot of primetime drama series thrive thanks in no small part to the contributions of valuable assets like the following "boys of summer."

Without the experienced and knowing assists of veteran actors, the summer series listed here simply wouldn't be as entertaining.

Check out our seven "most valuable players" and tell us if we got it right ... or who we left out!

(S05E08) When I say that a lot of this episode of The Closer felt like a CSI episode, with the emphasis on the gory and gruesome aspects of original murder, I'm not being critical. And when I mention there were also elements that reminded of Cold Case, that's also not a diss because Cold Case is an underrated show.

But unlike Cold Case, which brings the past to life, The Closer remained very much in the present. Generally speaking, this was a pretty strong episode that played up Brenda's vulnerability.

(S04E05) This was probably the most anticipated episode of The Closer ever, for me. I mentioned the episode in the early look at the season, and the idea of Provenza stepping into the spotlight and working undercover seemed like a can't miss. Add to that the dramatic conclusion to last week's "Live Wire" and we really seemed to have the makings of a great episode on our hands. Unfortunately, it didn't really work out that way. "Dial M For Provenza" certainly had it's moments, but overall, I'd call it hit and miss. I'll explain, after the jump..

I think TNT over sold this episode in the preview. If you tuned in a few minutes early you would have heard their tag, "The only thing more surprising than the crime is the twist at the end." Honestly, I didn't think there was much of a twist at the end. I'll save any spoilers for after the jump, but the groundwork for the ending was laid out pretty clearly early on. That's not to say it was a bad episode though, because there was a lot to really enjoy here.

Isn't it nice to have Brenda back on our televisions? It's like catching up with an old friend. Or, old friends, as the case may be. And what a way to come back. Multiple homicides, an entire park for a crime scene, the return of an old foe, and more shenanigans on the home front. Brenda's plate is very full as we jump into season four, and that's a good thing.

(S03E14) I'm sorry to say that I didn't like this "special" episode. It was a little too cheesy, over-the-top, and far-fetched. Yes, yes, it was great to see the cast during this time of the year since The Closer only airs during the summer. It felt comforting to reunite with Brenda, Fritz and Lts. Flynn and Provenza... but the story wasn't really worth it. The whole thing didn't suck, but I did feel let down by the episode.

(S03E11) This episode was chock full of stuff, wasn't it? I'm trying to figure out which story lines set us up for more issues down the road and I think there are several. But first, let's talk about Brenda Leigh. I was really feeling her pain during this episode. She just had abdominal surgery to reverse her Early Onset Menopause and she was obviously very uncomfortable. The woman should've been in bed, but we know she doesn't relax very well. And she wasn't even hiding her discomfort, which is a bit unusual for her. Also, I loved her near-breakdown when Fritz wouldn't help and she almost started crying about the fact that she couldn't eat chocolate anymore. That's a great personal issue that will no doubt bring on some comedy in the future.

(S03E10) You know what I like about this show? I like that, when each episode opens, the crime has already happened. With CSI and Law & Order, the crime usually happens at the opening of the episode. But we get absolutely no context from The Closer, but I enjoy that.

Okay, so this wasn't my favorite episode this season. In fact, I'd say it was my least favorite. It didn't suck--not by any means--but I just didn't find it all that intriguing. I think the case just was too simple. Even though Brenda and the detectives interviewed a handful of people, it didn't really seem to take any twists or turns. And, the presence of Brenda's parents derailed the case for me (as it did for her).

(S03E09) Another great episode of The Closer! The writers of this show are really knocking it out of the park this season. Did anybody notice in the opening credits that Kevin Bacon directed this episode? I giggled when we saw Brenda nude in the shower (through the frosted glass) because that seemed like a Bacon touch there... show off his hot wife.

Once again, the writers were able to magically mix humor with emotion. And the emotions in this episode were very highly charged, yet the humor fit right in. I am continuously impressed by the show- by the way the story lines and subplots are balanced so perfectly. The writers have become experts at knowing when humor is appropriate and when it isn't.

Kick-ass ratings and another Emmy nomination for Kyra Sedgwick have led TNT to renewThe Closer for a fourth season. The police procedural is currently in the middle of its third season and is enjoying huge ratings for a cable series. Last week, it ranked #1 in cable Nielsens with more than 7 million viewers. Overall ratings for The Closer are up 15 percent over last summer.

I review The Closer for TV Squad, and I have to say that this is a spectacular season so far. The investigations are more thrilling and the characters--especially Dep. Chief Brenda Johnson--are getting more complicated, and therefore more interesting. If you haven't been keeping up, you can watch the latest episode on TNT's website or the entire season on iTunes.

(S03E07) Those evil, evil writers over at The Closer kept us hanging on for one more week about what on earth is wrong with Brenda. While it was frustrating that we didn't get an answer, it was also very well done. I thought the fact that Brenda went to see her doctor but didn't ask any questions about what could be wrong was very within her quirky character. She didn't want to know all the possibilities... just the facts. Now I'm strongly suspecting she's at the beginning of menopause. I just don't think her symptoms are of pregnancy.

(S03E06) So... what's wrong with Brenda? She's getting fevers, she's highly emotional and weepy, and she feels like she has a cold. It seemed like the writers were hinting to us that she's pregnant because of her weepiness, irritability and her apparent craving for mashed potatoes. But, what about the fevers? I went on to WebMD to try and figure it out and I'm stumped.

(S03E05) Not my favorite episode so far this season, but still very entertaining. That's because The Closer does quirky very, very well. Brenda is usually the freakiest freak of the bunch, but this week she got overshadowed by her real estate agent and by a surly old man who claimed to have killed seven people.

Let's start with the real estate agent, named Gary (played by French Stewart). He works his catch phrase, "Gary Doesn't Lie" into almost every conversation with Brenda and Fritz as he helps them look for a new home. I don't know what these two professionals are doing with this slimeball-- as interrogators for the FBI and the LAPD, don't they know creeps when they see them? French Stewart did a marvelous job of playing an LA-type real estate agent who was working his gimmick the whole time.